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EMD SD60
Bio The EMD; Electro Motive Division, SD60 is a type of six-axle, 3,800hp type of diesel locomotive built from 1986 to 1995 (but was first introduced in 1984, and demonstrated until production was greenlit when orders were eventually received). 1,140 or so were built, and most are still in service; yet several have been scrapped, rebuilt, or retired; while railroads such as the Union Pacific have their fleets currently left in storage (primarily their SD60M units). Though, BNSF recently reassigned their fleets of former BN SD60M units to be used for heavy-duty yard and local freight service. History The SD60 was first introduced in 1984 as a vast improvement to the less-popular and less-successful SD50; which suffered terrible mechanical failures and issues similar to what occurred with the GP35 in the 1960's. Though, originally meant to compete with GE's ever-dominate and high-tech (at the time) C40-8 and its wide-cab counter-part; the C40-8W, the introduction of the SD60 spelled the end of the four-axle mainline era for freight diesels hauling general revenue freight service on most railroads, yet the GP60; it's four-axle counter-part, served as a final attempt to convince railroads to continue to normally use four-axle diesel locomotives on general revenue freight trains. SD60M The SD60M ("M" meaning, "modified") is basically a modified version of the original SD60, only having a unique cab which was first introduced in 1989 as part of the FRA's "Safety Cab" requirement for locomotive companies (which was in-effect from 1988 to around 1992); being one of the very first successful types (besides the C40-8W) of North American diesel locomotives to include a "Safety Cab" or "Wide Cab" variant that proved to actually be reliable (unlike EMD's earlier GP60M units built the previous year in 1988). Thus, the cab itself was built to provide better safety and is often known and recognized for its unique; yet odd, design (often nicknamed "tri-clops" by railfans) which provided what it was originally intended for. Though successful at first, a much improved design was introduced during the SD70M's introduction (in between the original SD70 and SD60MAC's trials and early production status) known as the "Phase 2" wide-cab which was a vast improvement, became more favorable with railroads and such cab has been used on every North American wide-cab type of diesel locomotive built from EMD beginning with the later SD60M units ordered by the Burlington Northern in 1993 (most employees actually favored the later design as opposed to the previous "Phase 1" design on earlier SD60M "tri-clops" units ordered by the railroad) and ending with later SD70MAC units in 2004. Besides the cab, the electrical wiring (especially for the alternator) was arranged differently than the original SD60M (very much like with how an electrical cabinet was added on most C40-8W units to house the locomotive's microprocessor controls as opposed to being built-in like the original; besides additional varants). Many are still currently in service with BNSF, CSX, and Union Pacific, though are in the process of becoming retired, de-rated, and reassigned to heavy-duty yard service (though, others such as Union Pacific's fairly large fleet; are currently in storage and are used as spare units awaiting service). SD60I The SD60I ("I" meaning, "isolated" or "improved") was Conrail's version of the SD60M which provided a "comfort cab" or "whisper cab" to reduce engine noises and rattling (which was; and still is, often still evident on most average earlier "Phase 1" SD60M units). Trivia/Facts The BN (Burlington Northern) railroad only ordered three SD60 units (numbered #8300 to 8302) and were used as part of their "fuel conservation" project during the 1980's and were all painted in the BN's "Tiger Stripe" safety scheme; which was intended to make their locomotives more visible as a result of a fatal car accident which occurred years earlier. All three of the BN's only SD60 units were eventually returned to EMD as a result of BN's agreement with Oakway Leasing (a leasing company which was once affiliated with EMDX leasing); having a long-term warranty to "borrow" fleets of their SD60 locomotives to use as needed in case of a "power shortage". The lease survived on into the BNSF merger and ended around 2006 to 2008. When all three former BN SD60 units were returned to EMD, they began service as EMDX lease units; which were often commonly seen in EMD's Pueblo, Colorado testing facility and retained their original numers, but were briefly renumbered numerous times. All three former BN SD60 units are now in service with CSX as a result of a purchase in 2001, and have since been renumbered. CSX's earlier fleets of SD60 units were also painted in a variant of their "Grey Ghost" 'Stealth' scheme variant similar to their early C40-8 units; yet the SD60 units were painted with a brighter tone of blue, while the Dash 8 units were painted with italicized numbering. NS #6548 (a former UP SD60 from CNW ancestry) is one of the several former HLCX lease units purchased to be rebuilt as part of the railroad's SD60E rebuild program (though, the majority of former UP/HLCX SD60 units owned by NS currently awaiting to be rebuilt are actually from CNW ancestry). CNW #8037 is another example of such units as listed above. Several former BN (Burlington Northern) SD60M units were repainted into their successor's (BNSF Railway) Heritage 2 and Heritage 3 schemes; though one in particular (#8197) was painted in a prototype scheme for the early years of the railroad. Gallery All BN SD60 units.jpg|All three of the original BN SD60 units; before the Oakway Leasing warranty deal. EMDX 8301.jpg|EMDX #8301 when it still retained it's original BN "Tiger Stripe" safety scheme. EMDX 8301 2.jpg|EMDX 8301 during the purchase, or "repaint" shipment. CSX 8788.jpg|CSX #8788; formally known as BN #8301. EMD 1.jpg|EMD #1: one of the four demonstrators built between 1984 to 1985. CSX Grey Ghost SD60 units.jpg|Three brand-new "Grey Ghost" painted CSX SD60's hauling a typical freight train. NS SD60.jpg|A standard, non-rebuilt NS SD60 unit. CNW SD60's.jpg|Two CNW SD60 units before the UP merger in 1995. Poor SD60.jpg|One of the remaining SD60 units on UP's roster (showing its state of neglect). Poor SD60 2.jpg|Another view of the unit. UP 2226.JPG|A freshly-repainted SD60 unit. UP SD60 with CNW C40-8.jpg|An early UP SD60 with a CNW C40-8 unit. CNW 8037.jpg|UP #5968 during its early years on the CNW (the trailing unit behind #8037). UP auction.jpg|UP #5968 during an auction with another unit. HLCX 5968.JPG|Former UP #5968 as HLCX #5968. NS 6548.JPG|NS #6548; former HLCX #5968, which is one of the remaining unrebuilt former UP (nee CNW) SD60 units proposed to be rebuilt as part of Norfolk Southern's SD60E rebuild program. BNSF 9206 primer.jpg|BNSF #9206 (a former BN SD60M) in Heritage 3 primer paint (being one of the only former BN "tri-clops" units to be repainted into such scheme). Odd BNSF SD60M.jpg|An oddly-patched BNSF (former BN) "tri-clops" SD60M leading a typical former BN SD60M unit while hauling a lumber train. Rare Tri-clops BNSF H3 SD60M.jpg|A rare H3-painted Phase 1 BNSF SD60M leading a coal train with a mixture of other units in the consist. Rare Phase 2 BNSF H3 SD60M.jpeg|A somewhat more-common H3-painted Phase 2 BNSF SD60M unit. Modern CSX and Conrail EMD units.png|Two EMD "Phase 2" wide-cab units: a former Conrail SD80MAC and freshly-painted CSX SD70MAC "Spirit of Cumberland" unit pose side-by-side hours into the Conrail merger in June 1999. Phase 2 UP SD60M.jpg|A Phase 2 UP SD60M. Sources http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/LocoPicture.aspx?id=92619 http://oakway.qstation.org/ Category:Diesel Locomotives Category:Unfinished Articles Category:EMD locomotives